Amron About Us

The Beginning

Over 35 years ago, Norma Ockwig didn’t have any plans of becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business. “I started this organization in [January] 1978 because the market asked me to,” Ockwig said. After putting many years into developing the “Professional Diver Supply” division for a local San Diego saturation systems manufacturer that closed its doors, Ockwig decided she needed a break.

Her break lasted one month.

Who was calling? “My old diving customers found me and asked if I could help supply them with commercial diving equipment. Not knowing what I was getting myself into and wanting to help my friends, I agreed,” Norma said.

From there, Normco, which would eventually be renamed Amron International, was born.

Providing commercial dive gear and hyperbaric equipment to divers all around the world, Norma quickly realized she needed help. This was a good opportunity to introduce her daughter to the business. Enter Norma’s daughter, Debra Ritchie. Debra was hired six months after the company was founded and has been with the organization for most of its 37 years.

Amron Today

Named President in 2000, Debra has experienced it all at Amron.

“We started the company as a distributor of commercial diving gear and hyperbaric equipment. Through the years, our customers requested gear and equipment outside of commercial diving. When they did, we listened and responded. Today, we service several industries including Commercial Diving, Hyperbarics, Marine, and Tactical, ”Debra said.

“We provide equipment for businesses, government agencies, and consumers throughout the world.”

Our People

The same principles and values Amron was founded on are still prevalent today. “Fast response was critical,” Norma said. “Companies would lose money if they didn’t have the right equipment.” Because of their demands Norma worked tirelessly for her customers. If you needed gear, she would find it or manufacture it for you. Norma’s customer-first mentality is shared by each employee at Amron.

It helps that our people are passionate about the products we sell.

Whether in the water or on a mountain, Amron employees feed off the outdoors and you’ll sense our passion when interacting with us. On any given Monday, if you walk down the hallways at Amron you’re bound to hear about a weekend dive, hike or kayaking adventure. We love the outdoors and want to help you make the right choice when choosing outdoor equipment.

Our Values

Our values are fundamental to our success and serve as a compass for our actions. They define who we are and set us apart from our competition. Below are some examples of what these values mean to us:

Integrity means being honest, reliable, and trustworthy by displaying morally sound values through consistent words and actions. It also means being forthright and true to one’s self and others. People acting with integrity do not deceive, lie, cheat, or steal. They deal with issues in a constructive, professional manner and avoid talking disparagingly about others.

Service has always been a core competency of Amron’s and an important component of our success. Service requires that we anticipate the needs of others by truly listening, offering help regularly, acting with good intentions, and following through on our commitments in a timely manner.

Quality means striving to do things right the first time, and we hold ourselves to high standards. We will continually manufacture and distribute the highest quality products and provide outstanding customer service.

Respect means being kind and considerate of others. Showing empathy and being tolerant of differences. By listening to others openly with the intent to be influenced.

Teamwork means getting along with each other and working together as a cohesive group by collaborating, creating and innovating together. It means involving all stakeholders in decision making and change‐efforts. It means asking for help and offering help to others.

Agility requires us to be aware of emerging trends and being able to effectively respond to new ideas and situations. It allows us to continually improve through learning and adapting.

Our Mission

Our mission is to remain service oriented, to foresee and act upon the needs of our customers, base all actions on good intentions and to always be driven to pursue excellence.